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1. | Avoid sharing saliva.
Don't share a feeding spoon or lick your child's pacifier to clean it. |
2. | Do not flavor pacifiers.
If your child uses a pacifier, always provide a clean one and do not dip it in sugar, honey or any other flavoring. |
3. | Only use water, formula, milk, or breast milk in bottles.
Never fill the bottle with sugar water, juice, soft drinks or other sweet beverages. Do not put diet beverages in the bottles either. The acid content in most diet beverages can also damage the teeth over time, and many contain excessive amounts of caffeine which can be very dangerous for young children. |
4. | Finish feedings before placing your child in bed.
Do not allow your children to continue to use a bottle full of milk, formula, or breast milk during bedtime or naptime. If you do allow your children to have a bottle with them during naps or at night, it should contain only water. |
5. | After each feeding, wipe your child's gums with a clean, damp gauze or washcloth.
Start this habit as early as possible to control bacterial growth and to help your child adjust to regular oral hygiene. |
6. | Ease the transition from teething ring to toothbrush.
Purchase a teething ring/infant toothbrush set that has a similar shape and size. |
7. | Brush new baby teeth gently with plain water.
The best position is to lay the baby on your lap with their head at your knees. Try to make it a game with singing and talking. If you child is under the age of 2, do not use any toothpaste without consulting with your dentist or physician first. |
1. | Use a soft-bristled, child-sized toothbrush with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
A firm toothbrush will not clean the teeth better than a soft one and can damage the gums when used aggressively. Large adult-sized bristle heads will not fit correctly into small mouths, and excessive toothpaste will increase the likelihood of your child swallowing some each time they brush. |
2. | Allow your children to brush as best they can at first, and then finish the brushing for them.
Still keep it a game. Make sure you are reaching the cheek and lip sides of the teeth, as well as the tongue sides. Use the time to instruct your child on the areas he or she may be missing. |
3. | Children should brush at least twice a day.
Be sure to supervise every toothbrushing session until your child can be counted on to spit out the toothpaste and not swallow it. This is usually until the age of 6 or 7. Children with developmental disabilities may require supervision for a longer period of time. |
4. | Floss your children's teeth for them at least once a day.
Do this for them until their finger dexterity develops enough that they can write legibly. However, with the advent of computers, writing legibly for some has become a thing of the past. You may have to use your own judgement. If you have trouble flossing your own teeth, get some pointers from your dental office. You need to learn to do it gently. If it causes the child pain when the floss snaps down, it will be a battle. |
1. | Use a timer.
Kids and teens tend to rush through brushing in order to get on to a less boring activity. Put a kitchen timer or a sand timer in the area where your children brush their teeth. The timer should run for at least 2 minutes. This is the minimum amount of time that should be spent on brushing for both children and adults. Many power toothbrushes will also have timers built in. |
2. | Provide floss aids.
Pre-threaded flossers are not as effective as traditional floss is in wrapping around each tooth and breaking up plaque colonies, but they are certainly better than not flossing at all. Many kids and teens struggle with the finger dexterity required for traditional flossing, and will give up altogether. Help them keep the habit going with these transitional tools. |
3. | Talk frankly with your kids about the value of personal hygiene.
Cavities, plaque build-up, food particles stuck in the teeth, and bad breath can all have a negative impact on personal relationships and first impressions. Also, fillings and dental treatment are expensive. I told my own children that if they got cavities in between their teeth they would have to pay for them because those cavities are almost 100% preventable. |
4. | Stay on top of your child's diet.
You cannot always know every single thing your child is eating and drinking - especially as they become teenagers. But you can control what is readily available for them to eat and drink at home. Soda, juice, sports & energy drinks, dried fruit, sweets, and highly refined carbohydrates should be limited or eliminated as regular parts of your child's diet. |
5. | Model good oral hygiene for your children.
Kids are savvy. If you ask them to floss and they see that you don't do it yourself, the message will lose its impact. Besides, maintaining good oral hygiene yourself will not only help your kids, it will also help you. |